A New Meeting for Old Rivals: A 1983 Doomsday Tale
by mdc1957
Summary: It's been 10 years since the bombs fell. And just as the world is starting to recover, Austria and the Alpines find themselves no longer alone in the wasteland that was Europe. The catch was that the visitor went by a long abandoned name: Prussia.


Author's Notes and Disclaimer:

This is a prequel of sorts to the other _Hetalia_/_1983: Doomsday_ crossover tales, which follow a world after a nuclear apocalypse erupted in the 1980s (so far, through Austria's perspective). This one in particular takes place 15 years before _A New Symphony for the Wastes_ and _A Wasteland Melody_, when the world is just going back to _something_ resembling normality after years of simply surviving the aftermath of a war that nearly ended everything. Also, in addition to showcasing Prussia, there are strong hints of AustriaxHungary, SwirtzerlandxLiechtenstein, references to (West) Germany and what _may or may not be_ PrussiaxHungary. If there are any warnings, it could be implied character death.

As an aid, the "Austro-Swiss Union" is the early name of the Alpine Confederation before Liechtenstein formally joined in this world's 1997. The _Autobahn_ is Germany's famous highway system, while Old Fritz refers to Prussia's favorite King, whose descendants (the Hohenzollerns) happen to be back in charge in the post-apocalyptic country.

As for some of the translations:

_Mein Gott _- "My God..." (German)  
><em>Dummkopf <em>- Idiot (German)

That said, I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did making this.

I don't own _Axis Powers Hetalia_ or _1983: Doomsday_. All rights belong to their respective owners.

* * *

><p><strong><em>A New Meeting for Old Rivals<em>**

**_ Or, a 1983 Doomsday Tale Through A Nation's Eyes._**

Along the old Bavarian Border Region. 1994.

"Do you think it's another band of barbarians?" Austria asked the driver as the battered jeep moved closer towards the increasingly crowded refugee camp. It was a common sight to find such camps along and near the frontiers that separated the Austro-Swiss Union from the surrounding wastelands, which still pained him given how they were forced to close the borders as they threatened to plunge their lands to chaos. Yet today seemed different.

"Reports said that they met a group of heavily armed soldiers and delegates," the Swiss-accented blond muttered irritably. "So they sure as hell better not be warlords. And next time, Roderich, you're driving!"

"Fine, Vash." _We should have taken a more dignified car anyway,_ the aristocrat added in his mind, sighing as they slowed down. Already, he could see the massing groups of soldiers surrounding what appeared to be a column of military trucks and jeeps. The Nation noticed that they looked like old Soviet and East German models. But it was the insignia proudly displayed on them that caught both Nations off guard, bringing their own vehicle to a screeching halt. As they stepped out and moved closer, it became all the more clear that the foreigners spoke a militaristic German and seemed far more professional and organized than any roving bandit or refugee group. Once they got a good look at the flags, the unmistakable Black Eagle of Prussia, which hadn't been used for generations, was plain to see. And for the first time, it dawned on the Alpines that they weren't the only surviving remains of the pre-Doomsday world.

_Mein Gott. You can't be serious…_ But as Austria turned to see the rest of the newcomers, he bumped into an all too familiar albino. He wore what looked like a crude mix between a World War I-era and East German uniform, an Iron Cross partly covered by a loosely hanging gas mask. There were scars clearly visible on his hands and face. Yet the figure still had the same white hair and red eyes. The same annoying, if rather exhausted smirk. And the same liveliness which betrayed just how tired he looked. _Why did it have to be you?_

"_Guten tag,_four-eyes!" The Prussian's voice boomed with excitement and genuine joy. "Long time no see!"

"Ah…A pleasure to see _you_ among the living, _dummkopf._"

-o-

Somewhere in the outskirts of Linz. Not long after.

"Just don't touch anything, _please_ _Preußen_?" Austria sighed as both he and Prussia settled down.

The house had definitely seen better days. Dust and grime seemed to cover most of the furniture. Parts of the wallpaper had either faded or peeled off. Some of the windows were still covered up from an old attempt to keep fallout from entering. But then again, it was only recently that the Alpines had managed to regain some sense of normalcy after spending those early years simply trying to survive. Still, the small reception hall they were in was evocative of the old Empire. The Nation took pride in that it may be one of the few left of its kind on this shattered world. _Not that it makes things any easier,_ he thought as the albino declined his offers for food, instead opting to bring out a few vintage bottles of beer. Despite looking far thinner than he remembered, Gilbert was still the same loud, boisterous, childish and irritating Nation he always seemed to be.

After promptly explaining how conditions were in the Union and despite occasional boasts of how awesome the albino was, the aristocrat relented in having him energetically keep talking about his incredible story. How Berlin escaped nuclear destruction, if only because both Alfred and Ivan had assets there. How the East German government fell before an angry people. How the remaining soldiers and citizens turned towards the Hohenzollerns as monarchs once more. How after going through years of immense difficulty, he and his people were now heading back on the road to glory. How the Nation himself was formally rechristened Prussia only two years ago. The long narrative ended with him telling a dramatic tale, complete with sweeping motions that nearly toppled the priceless décor, on how he and his expedition wound up in Bavaria, passing through the ruins of Munich, broken _Autobahn_ routes and evading the ever-present warlords. Even with all the pain and upheavals, it seemed as though Doomsday was the best thing to ever happen to him since the days of Old Fritz.

Austria himself was inwardly glad that Switzerland was busy contacting his bosses back in Bern, though another part of him suspected a detour to visit Liechtenstein. Either way, it removed the possibility of Vash threatening Gilbert to get it over with at gunpoint. Yet even after hearing all of it for what seemed to be hours, he still felt dumbstruck by the simple fact that his old rival was lazily sitting right across the table. But then…

"Roddi, how's Hungary by the way?" he asked nonchalantly, a tinge of excitement on his face. "I haven't seen her since…hold up! You're alright?"

Austria found himself choking at the notion, loosening his cravat. _Not…now…_ It had been a decade since that day, and nowhere closer to finding out about his beloved Elizaveta's fate. _But if Prussia survived, then surely…_ "It's…nothing at all, _Preußen_," he said with a stoic if heavy nod. "I've been looking for her for some time now. And dangerous as the surrounding wastes are, there's still a chance. Has to be…right?"

"Yeah, same here," he replied in an unusually serious voice, which caught the aristocrat almost by surprise. If there was any sense of regret or shock, it didn't show much. Then his face suddenly lightened up, though with a glint of desperation in his eyes. "For West, I mean. Sure I haven't seen him since the damn Wall came up. But I raised him to be strong! Hell, he's probably living it up in some bunker, waiting for the awesome me to show up! How cool would that be?"

The Nation forced himself, through centuries of practice, to stay calm as Prussia kept rambling on about the possibilities of seeing both Hungary and Germany again. Yet even then, his mind still found it all confusing. On the one hand, he found it a cosmic joke of sorts that of all the Nations to survive the apocalypse, it had to be him. Yet it was also a welcome relief to find someone the Alpines could still recognize alive and well. True, old slights and grievances were hard to remove, even now. But with a shattered world before all of them and the Survivor-Nations that are emerging from the ashes, they needed each other's help more than ever, no matter how strange that sounded. _And with our shared experiences, perhaps we can really work with each other after all…_

"You know, four-eyes," Gilbert finally mused, snapping the Nation out of his thoughts. "When we actually see them again, how does a party sound? Of course, I'm better at hosting them, but wouldn't it be awesome to hang out together like before? Beer, stories, sausage, more beer…that'll be the day right? Maybe I'll even invite Vash and Lilli over too."

Austria felt tempted to remind him about his behavior around those siblings. But for now, he felt satisfied in a sense that at least he wasn't exactly alone anymore. A faint twitch approximating a smile entered his face. _Close enough._ "I guess we shall see, then. If only…"


End file.
